After He Dongmei became Yang Wei's mentor-disciple, a few more days passed.
She performed her duties exceptionally well, to the point where it even bothered Yang Wei. He worried that Mu Lin would return and demand more payment for someone who didn't even want money.
If Tianyi pooped in the courtyard, she would clean it up and use the dung as fertilizer to plant other medicinal plants. Being knowledgeable about Yang Wei's interests, she made inquiries about frequently used medicinal plants and herbs for pill refinement. Then, she went to the forests at Green Sanctuary Peak and gathered them all.
She planted them, and they naturally grew quickly due to using Tianyi's dung as fertilizer.
She washed all of Yang Wei's clothes, both those he'd worn and those he hadn't, and sewed up any underwear or ripped pants.
Whenever Mu Lin didn't visit to cook, He Dongmei made sure to prepare a meal, but only after asking Yang Wei, as she wasn't sure if he would be comfortable eating her own cooking.
She was exceedingly polite, to the point that it scared Yang Wei, as there were very few polite people in the Martial World.
And the fact that they lived in a matriarchal world and she was still very eager to serve him, a man, did bother him a bit.
So, Yang Wei told her she didn't have to ask him for permission for everything and should feel free to act if she knew it was right.
However, he instantly regretted that decision...
He Dongmei initiated a daily "morning exercise routine" for Yang Wei, waking him up at the crack of dawn to perform a series of stretching exercises and tai chi moves, much to his annoyance and protests about needing more beauty sleep and time to study the inheritance he was given.
She also decided to redecorate Yang Wei's entire living space without his permission, rearranging furniture and hanging up decorative scrolls depicting scenes of fluffy bunnies and kittens meditating in lotus positions.
Even poor Tianyi suffered under her care; she forced him to bathe six times a day, claiming that:
"Come on, little Tianyi. A pet that isn't cleaner than its master can't lick its master."
Then she'd say, "So, let me just bathe you for the fourth time today, and you'll be free until evening. Then, I'll only need to bathe you twice. Fun, right?!"
It became so excessive that Tianyi's scales ached, and everyday before each bath, He Dongmei would chase him around the courtyard for at least 30 minutes before catching him to bathe him, which he found to be absolute torture.
"RaaAAwWWrrrR! RaAAaawWWr!"
Those were the sorrowful screams of the baby dragon that now suffered the trauma of a soap and sponge.
But most importantly, there was a deep innocence in her brown eyes, which, when combined with her oversized glasses, made her look like an innocent, awkward young woman.
After a brief moment, he approached her, kneeling down and smiling as he asked, "Why are you so eager to help me?"
She scratched her head, resembling an embarrassed puppy, and stammered, "W-well, I just... want to help you, Senior Brother."
Yang Wei gently tapped her forehead, "I know that's not the real reason." He watched as she winced slightly from the tap, then smiled at her reaction, she didn't have the usual lady-like charm, but at the same time she wasn't exactly a tomboy either. "Alright, spill it," he said in a calm, open-to-discussion tone.
He Dongmei settled her hands in her lap and lowered her head, admitting, "Well, the truth is, I really just admire you..."
Yang Wei raised an eyebrow, prompting her to continue.
Blushing even more, she explained, "It might sound funny for a woman in this world to look up to a man, but I'm not from here. Where I come from, gender doesn't matter, and everyone is respected equally."
"Umh..." She fidgeted with her fingers nervously, revealing, "I've been in the Outer Sect much longer than you, but I haven't been able to progress much because I lack talent. I just want to learn how to be better...
It's painful to see that almost everyone sees me as useless because I'm weak." She sniffled a bit, "While this world may favor women, being weak won't earn me anything other than - pain, torment and suffering. Sigh~ in the end, the true worth of anything is judged solely on power... something I lack."
Yang Wei placed a comforting hand on her head, patting her gently, and leaned in with a smile.
He Dongmei's face flushed even redder.
"So, you're tired of feeling useless and want to learn from me, but didn't know how to say it?" said Yang Wei.
With a nod and a face burning bright red, He Dongmei affirmed his statement, unable to form coherent words in her overwhelmed state.
Yang Wei sighed, "I see..."
She was probably working this hard so when she finally asks, I wouldn't reject her. It wasn't just her only leverage, but the her own way of showing she could be useful...
He noticed that her glasses were crooked and cracked on the lens. After adjusting them for her using both hands, he suggested, "Maybe we should get you a new pair sometime soon?"
Staring at him with her big brown eyes, He Dongmei nodded in agreement.